Warm Modernism in Florida

Feb. 5, 2013 3:35 p.m. ET

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The owner, Leonard Sacks, purchased this property on the St. Lucie Inlet in Stuart, Fla., for $910,000 in 1992, according to public records. He built this roughly 8,000-square-foot home with his wife Harriet in about 1996. Mr. Sacks says its contemporary design has aged well. 'I think it looks like it was built yesterday,' he said.
Brian Lee…

Mr. Sacks, 85, who spent his career in luxury advertising, has long taken an interest in design, he said. 'What we worked to achieve was a classic house done in a very modern idiom,' he said. The home was a collaboration between architect Carl Erickson and the architectural firm Shelton, Mindel & Associates.
Andy Frame…

Mr. Sacks, a Bronx, N.Y. native, lived in Japan and Denmark for a time before moving to Florida. It was through his work and travel that he developed his love of contemporary style, he said. But going modern didn't have to mean having cold or sterile design, he notes. 'It's not one of those nutsy homes where you don't know where you are,' he joked. The two-story living room is pictured.
Andy Frame…

The living room features 11-foot-tall French doors that lead out to the pool area, and the ceiling is 23 feet high, he said. Much of the furniture in the home was custom-made. Furnishings aren't included in the list price, but some may be negotiable, he said.
Andy Frame…

Flooring throughout much of the home is limestone, and the windows are made of hurricane-resistant glass. There is also an elevator for easy access to the second level. At the top of the stairs is an assemblage of paper lanterns inspired by Japanese art. Mr. Sacks declined to provide the construction cost, but says the listing price is near the amount he has invested in the property.
Andy Frame…

Mr. Sacks, says he's selling because the home has more space than what he currently needs. Mrs. Sacks died in 2009, he said.
Andy Frame…

The couple used the home as their primary residence for many years. One of the features they included was a ground-floor salon that Mrs. Sacks could use instead of walking to the upstairs bedroom. A bar, as well as the elevator to the bedroom, is located beside the salon. 'I had my privacy and she had hers, and it was just spectacular,' he said.
Andy Frame…

The home includes five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two half-baths.
Andy Frame…

The community offers membership to a Jack Nicklaus golf course and other resident benefits. A view of the water from a dining area in the home is shown.
Andy Frame…

The home was listed for $6.8 million in February 2012. It was listed at a new price of $5.9 million in October with Blaine 'Doc' Ellingson of Sotheby's International Realty's Palm Beach office.
Andy Frame…